


Twelve Memories

by Lilly_C



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Childhood Memories, F/M, Friendship, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-04
Updated: 2004-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-05 11:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1816831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly_C/pseuds/Lilly_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Monica get locked in the office. To pass the time they reminisce about growing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twelve Memories

AD FOLLMER'S OFFICE, 12:15PM

Follmer was pacing the floor. "Agents, correct me if I'm wrong. Were you not working the same case?" 

"Yes sir, we worked the same case," Doggett answered.

"Brad, what are you getting at?" Reyes enquired.

"What I'm getting at Monica is the fact that I have two case reports, yet the outcome of each differs magnificently."

Doggett gave Follmer a bemused glance. "So what you are saying Assistant Director is that you have a case report written by an agent with a Mickey Mouse Mind and a case report written by an objective mind."

Monica was finding it difficult not to laugh at John's statement, or to let that famous smile of hers loose on the men in her presence.

Follmer leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the edge of the desk. "Agent Reyes is something amusing you?" Follmer questioned.

"No sir, not amusing as such."

John smiled at Monica. "You can laugh you know Nic."

"Agent Reyes, I know you too well to know when you're trying to hide something. Please enlighten us with your thoughts as you have so obviously tried to hide your amusement."

"Well my thoughts are that John thinks he IS Mickey Mouse and you think that I'm an object."

"Carry on Monica I want to know where you are going with this 'theory' of yours."

"OK Brad, my theory is that you are going to say that my conclusion is more accurate than that of my partner's although he kept an open mind throughout the investigation."

John was beginning to get annoyed with the Assistant Director and his partner, although she was defending him. It wasn't because of the issues that were being raised, more of the way in which he was being painted as an incompetent agent by the assistant director.

Monica said, "If you're done Assistant Director we have work to be doing," as she was about to get up from her seat. 

John turned to give her the glare that he usually reserved for people suspected of being child abusers. 

"Agent Doggett, will you do something for me before the end of today?" Follmer asked.

John's anger was almost at boiling point. "What would that something be, Assistant Director?"

"I want you to rewrite this Mickey Mouse report objectively and have it on my desk by the end of today, is that clear?"

As John and Monica got up from their seats, Follmer handed John both case reports. "Perfectly clear sir," John replied.

John held the door open for Monica to leave before him. Monica was searching John with her eyes, trying to gauge his mood. John slammed  
the door and walked out of the reception area into the halls.

"John!" Monica shouted.

John turned to face Monica. "Let's just keep to one arrangement today Monica."

Monica looked confused. "What arrangement John?"

John gave Monica a disapproving look. "You keep out of my way Monica and I'll keep out of yours. I saw what was going on in there, you siding with him turning against me after everything we've been through together."

"John it wasn't like THAT at all and you know it. If anything I WAS defending you NOT taking sides."

"Monica, I'm through with listening to you and your far out theories. You just go and run back to lover boy and ask for a transfer while you're there. I don't need you!"

Monica was having a hard time holing back her tears at John's harsh parting comments about her past.

Monica rolled her eyes, "Little boy all you do is annoy."

John pressed the down arrow for the lift. "What's THAT supposed to mean Monica?"

"Grow up John, you sound pathetic."

John got in the lift and pushed the 'B' button. Monica pushed her way passed people as she made her way to the back stairwell that she often used when she needed to have a sneaky cigarette without leaving the building.

FOX MULDER'S OFFICE, 1:16PM

John gently closed the door and walked across the room to where Mulder's I Want To Believe poster used to hang. He punched the wall with rapid blows until his knuckles began to bleed.

"I should have become a professional boxer when I left the marines."

John was sat in favourite chair, rummaging through his desk drawer for the Metallica CD he had copied for emergencies.

He looked over to the wall that had served as his punching bag moments earlier. Although he was glad to let some of his rage out, he was feeling guilty about the medium sized hole he had just made and what he had said to Monica before she went out, but his guilt was nothing compared to the sting he felt on his bloody knuckles.

John picked the CD player up from under the desk. Once he'd switched it on he opened up the drawer noticing that Monica had left one of her CD's in.

John removed Monica's CD and placed it in a plastic file that she had left in case she needed to keep important files dry when it rained.

"She could have taken it out herself," he mumbled.

Once John had inserted his CD into the drawer, he turned the volume up to full.

#Give me fuel/ give me fire/ give that which I desire/ turn on/ I see red/ adrenaline crash/ and crash my head/ nitro junkie/ paint me dead/ and I see  
red/ one hundred plus through/ black and white/ war horse/ war head#

John was leaning back in his chair, throwing screwed up pieces of paper in to the bin. Although he wasn't aiming for the bin he hit it more times than he had missed, with each hit is anger faded.

M STREET, 1:45PM

Monica lit another cigarette. She knew she shouldn't be smoking, especially as she'd quit two years ago but her stress levels had gone through the roof.  
"Monica!" Scully shouted. Monica turned to see that Scully was waving to her. Monica crossed the street, weaving in and out of moving traffic. Once she had made it across the road Scully hugged Monica.

"Hey Dana, what are you doing here?"

"I took the day off, Mulder has a job interview at one of the local schools and my mom's out of town."

Monica pushed William along in his buggy. 

"I thought that you quit smoking Monica."

"I did, I mean I have it's just that John and I were called into AD Follmer's office to discuss a case report."

"What happened?"

"John got real mad, he thought I was siding with Brad but I was actually defending him and his report. Before I left him to calm down we both said  
things that we didn't really mean. Here I am calming down the only way I could think of without having to go kickboxing."

"Do you want to talk about it Nic?" Scully asked.

"Yeah I do," Monica answered.

"Come on we'll go to Subway and get some lunch. We can walk and talk."

SUBWAY, M STREET, 2PM

"I'll buy lunch Nic, what are you having?" Scully asked.

"Cheese, pickle and beetroot three-quarter sub with no mayonnaise, it's my usual."

"I'll wait here and talk to William, while you go and order," Monica added.

Scully kissed William on the forehead, "I won't be long."

Monica's mobile rang. "Hello?"

"Agent Reyes, it's AD Skinner. I've just received your transfer request, care to explain."

Monica looked confused. "My transfer request, sir I didn't send my transfer request I've been out of the office for the last couple of hours. It was  
probably John."

"OK Agent, come to my office for a chat around quarter to three."

"Bye sir."

AD SKINNER'S OFFICE, 2:45PM

"He's waiting for you Agent Reyes," Kim said.

Monica gently knocked on Skinner's door.

"Come in!" Skinner shouted.

Monica opened the door and walked in, "You wanted to see me sir?" 

"Agent Reyes, please take a seat," Skinner said.

"I'd prefer to stand sir, I know why you called me in to see you."

"Please enlighten me Agent," Skinner replied.

"While I was out of the office, you received my request for a transfer back to the New Orleans Field Office."

"I'd like to hear more," Skinner said.

"The only thing that's bothering you about it is that although I'm logged on to my e-mail it actually came from John's computer. Am I close sir?" Monica asked.

Skinner's mouth widened, "Wow how did you know?" he questioned.

"Well I didn't know sir, not for sure."

"Please carry on Agent Reyes."

"Earlier today we were in AD Follmer's office as he said he had found inconsistencies with our case reports and he pissed John off in the most  
almighty fashion, we had an argument about it and went our separate ways to calm down."

"OK Agent Reyes, thank you for your time it's much appreciated," Skinner smiled.

Monica opened the door and turned to Skinner, "Welcome sir."

FOX MULDER'S OFFICE, 3:30PM

Monica opened the door and walked quickly to her desk. John raised his head in acknowledgement to his partner's presence.

"You calmed down yet Nic?"

Monica shook her head in reply to John's question.

John walked across to Monica's desk, he stood facing her trying to gauge her mood the same way she had tried to with him earlier.

"You're pissed off at me Nic and I want to know why."

Monica glared at John. "You want to know why I'm pissed off!"

"Yeah, that's what I just asked," John answered.

Monica picked up a cup and threw it across the room she missed John's head by a matter of inches. "I'm pissed off John, because you e-mailed my transfer request to Skinner while I was out. I was going to do that myself when I came back from lunch."

John was shaken by Monica's actions. " I never e-mailed your transfer request to Skinner, I've been tossing paper balls into the bin."

Monica looked John in the eyes. "You're lying it's written all over your face, and you're the one saying that I'm the only one you trust. In my books John trust works both ways giving it and receiving."

"You don't think I trust you?" John questioned.

"No I don't, not after today's display."

Mary, the janitor was outside dusting the shelves were the old case files are kept.

John shouted, "FINE THEN GO."

"I WILL JOHN WITH PLEASURE."

Mary knocked on the door in a vain attempt to get their attention, neither of them heard Mary knocking over their own voices.

"I'll come back later," she mumbled softly.

John left the office to go to the toilet.

Mary saw John heading for the lift. She went back and knocked gently on the door, "Come to empty your bins love, everything all right?"

Monica nodded her head, "Yeah everything is fine Mary, why do you ask?"

"It's just that I was sweeping and dusting outside, you could be heard right down the other end of the hall," Mary answered.

"Oh I didn't realise we were being that vocal," Monica answered.

"Where was he going Monica?"

"To siphon his python," Monica answered.

"Oh I thought he was cracking up."

"No Mary."

John got out of the lift and slowly walked back to the office, whistling aimlessly as he walked.

"I best get the bins emptied," Mary said.

"Thanks for letting me rattle on."

Mary smiled, "Welcome Monica."

John saw Mary empting the bins into a blue bin liner, and replacing the white bags in the bins.

5PM

"Hey Mary, how's things?" John asked.

"Grand, everything is grand. Thank you for asking."

Mary walked back into the office with John, she placed the bins in the rightful place by the desks. "Do you want me to lock up?" she asked.

John and Monica looked at each other. "No we'll be down here for a while, we'll do it when we leave," Monica answered.

Mary left the room and locked the door behind her.

John looked shocked. "Oh shit I think she's just locked us in here."

"Yeah she's locked us in here, looks like we'll be down here all night."

John began pounding on the door shouting at the top of his voice. "MARY! MARY!"

"Looks like I'll have to put up with you for the night," Monica sarcastically said.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Don't start or next time I won't miss!" Monica snapped.

Monica and John went to their desks and stared at each other in silence.

6:15PM

John said, "I remember when I was about six I thought that I was superman and I jumped out of my bedroom window."

"What did your mom do?"

"Nothing she hit me then she made my dad take me to the hospital to check for brain damage."

Monica raised her right eyebrow, "Did you have any, brain damage I mean?"

"Nah just an almighty concussion." John added, "What was the craziest thing you did as a kid?"

Monica thoughtfully answered, "Too many things to mention."

"Tell me the first thing that comes to mind."

"OK in high school I was in eight grade and I remember being told to go see the head of year over something really trivial. The guy that was in the room locked the door so that I couldn't leave."

"What did you do Nic?"

"I made him unlock the door and then I punched him in the face, in turn I got suspended from school for just over a week."

"How did your folks react?"

"They didn't all they kept on doing was saying 'we knew that temper of yours would get you into trouble one day' in a way they were right, my mom especially. When I was a kid I used to just lash out at people on impulse but one day I realised that if I was to get anywhere in life I'd have to learn to control my temper. So I took up boxing and let all my anger comes out in the ring."

John asked, "What was the hardest thing to cope with as a kid?"

"Two things I found real difficult as a kid were finding out I was adopted and nearly losing my auntie to drugs when I was about three or four."

Monica added, "What about your worst moments growing up?"

"My worst moments growing up were losing both my granddad's within eighteen months of each other. They taught me so much."

"Nic how did you react when you found out you were adopted?" John questioned.

"I didn't really react in any way that was over the top. I was confused at first but deep down I always knew that mom and dad would tell me in their own time. All I kept on thinking about my real mom was she could have had the decency to give me hope before she gave me life."

"Yeah and."

"In the end I just got on with it and figured there's no point in hating someone I'm never gonna meet or anything, I have a good life with my family."

7:06PM

"Do you miss your granddad's in the same way that you miss Luke?"

"Yeah I do, whenever I go back home to Georgia I visit their graves and place a dozen red roses on both headstones."

Monica smiled, "That's sweet, truly lovely."

John turned the radio on and began tuning a local station, once he had found the station he wanted he lowered the volume enough so that he could listen to Monica.

"I love this song!" Monica exclaimed.

"Coincidence, so do I."

Monica walked over to John's desk and hugged him. John smiled at the gesture and hugged her back.

#As long as/ we got each other/ we got the world/ spinnin' right in our hands/ baby you and me/ we gotta be/ the luckiest dreamers/ who never quit dreamin'/ As long as we keep on givin'/ we can take anything that come our way/ baby rain or shine/ all the time/ we got each other/ sharin' the/ laughter and love# 

7:45PM

"I remember when I was in elementary school. One lunchtime I was hanging out near to where the steps were and I thought that I'd be a smart arse and climb on the banister."

"What happened?" John enquired.

"I fell about three feet and split my head open. My mom, dad and brother's came to the school and took me to the hospital as my head had started to bleed."

"What did they tell you at the hospital?"

"I'd have a migraine, and they had to stitch me up, I had twenty-eight stitches. The scar isn't visible anymore. I did get spoilt though my mom bought me fudge bars, curly wurlys and chocolate buttons as I loved them."

8:35PM

John smiled at his partner's misfortune. "I can top that easily."

"OK John, what can top cracking your head open on pure concrete?"

John chuckled, "When I was about twelve or thirteen I had been in my room, I came out for a drink and I had no idea that the floors had been mopped. So I ended up slipping I was carrying a plate, as that went in the air I put my right hand out to catch it, but I missed it and it went into my left hand."

"What happened?"

"My mamma came rushing in from the living room to see if I was ok, I said that I was and she looked me square in the eyes and said 'John boy your hand is spraying' let's get you to the hospital."

"What did the doctors do?"

"Apart from piss my dad off in the most spectacular fashion, they x-rayed my hand four times and put a new bandage on to keep it clean. Then after nearly five hours of waiting a junior doctor came to stitch up my hand and he messed it up."

"Did you feel the stitches?"

"Hell yeah, well not the first two but I felt the other seven. I was swearing like a paratrooper, much to my mom's disapproval. We got home and I slept in my mum and dad's bed with my mom as I couldn't get comfortable enough to get to sleep in mine."

9:40PM

John questioned, "What's the worst hangover that you've had?"

"Easy, one new years I was about sixteen I had gone to my auntie's and she kept on giving me drink after drink. One minute I was drinking vodka, then it was beer, then wine, then some cocktail that she put together that was lethal."

"How was the head?"

"Banging, I had mild alcoholic poisoning for a week afterwards. I had to go back to school three days after new year's and I walking around like a zombie and feeling like shit."

"What about you John?"

"I don't really get hangovers but when I was eighteen I had gone out to a club with some friends, I was crafty back then anyway I got home around four am and my mom was waiting up. Before I went to bed I did a rainbow fountain. When I woke up my mom was shouting at me, and she made me clean it all up which made me want to be sick again."

Monica laughed, "You'll never be able to beat my hangover, granted you'll never drink me under the table."

"Is that a bet?"

"No it's a fact!"

John and Monica heard a key turning in the lock, instinctively they drew their weapons. "Who's there?" Monica questioned.

Skinner opened the door. "Agents, I heard voices. What are you still doing here?"

"Mary locked us in here after she cleaned up," John answered.

"I have something to tell you both."

Monica and John looked confused.

"What do you want to tell us sir?" Monica asked.

"Your transfer request was not sent from Agent Doggett's computer, it was sent from AD Follmer's computer."

John's anger began rising again. "Why I'm gonna kick his arse from here to arse-kicking ville."

"No you're not John."

"Why not Nic?"

"Because I'm first in line to do it."

Skinner smiled, "Have the two of you resolved your dispute?"

John took Monica's hand and smiled at his boss, "Yes sir we have."

"Good then the both of you go home, go on get out of my sight I don't want either of you in the office till Monday morning."

"Sir out of curiosity, what day is it?" Monica asked.

"Fourteenth of February, Valentine's day." Skinner answered.

John and Monica headed for the lift. "Let's go find somewhere that isn't McDonalds that is still open and not booked out," John suggested.

"Great I'm starving," Monica answered.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a Travis album.


End file.
